Flea Market Shelf

 

remember this light green shelf i bought last summer at a flea market ?

a spot for the shelf was found in my studio

and the shelf was painted white

now my daughter has a place to work while i work in my studio

PS joyeux mardi gras !  i'm going to take a little blog break, i might pop in here during April for a special announcement, otherwise i'll see you after Easter : )

Moutarde Bag

 

i have a new purse !

 

i had been admiring this moutarde bag for awhile

knitting pattern can be purchased here

 

knit doubling yarn, first with straight needles, then switching to circular

 

before wet felting...

 

after wet felting...

makes a nice thick sturdy purse

a super fun knit

Greenfield Cardigan

 Day 15 ::  2010 Craft Books

New England Knits: Timeless Knitwear with a Modern Twist by Cecily Glowik MacDonald & Melissa LaBarre

 what you need to know...
:: watch a video on New England Knits
:: view the 25 knitting patterns on ravelry
:: join the New England Knits ravelry group
:: free pattern from the book: Chelsea Skirt
:: 3 sections in the book: Around the Town, Fall on the Farm, and Along the Coast
:: fresh take on classic knitting

 some of my favorites from the book... Hampton Cardigan

 Augusta Cardigan

 Derry Raglan and Cowl

 Greenfield Cardigan

from this book i attacked the Greenfield Cardigan which has pretty leaf detailing (the buttons i used can be found here)

it was designed by Melissa LaBarre, she is also the designer of the Tiny Tea Leaves Cardi that i knit for my daughter (so i guess you could say i've become a fan of Melissa LaBarre's knitwear)

that ends 2010 Craft Book month ~ thanks for stopping by, see you around this time next year for 2011 Craft Book month

Paper Doll Family Portrait

 Day 14 ::  2010 Craft Books

The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer: Activities and Amusements for the Curious Paper Artist by Emily Martin

 what you need to know...
:: 21 sweet & mysterious characters with clothes & accessories
:: plus 16 paper dolls ready to be designed by you
:: clever craft projects include: armoire for doll-sized clothes, paper toy theater
:: use your imagination & go on an adventure
:: visit Emily's etsy shop
:: watch Emily make stuffed dolls

the project that i made from the book was our family portrait in paper dolls (first photo way up on top)
let me introduce you to our family, there's Papa, Mumma, junior, son 2, & daughter ~ it was super fun to pick out everything & it took forever for my daughter to pick out her hair :)

PS there has been a delay of posts due to technical difficulties, so 2010 craft book month posts will be fewer than anticipated

Pillowcase Dress

 Day 13 ::  2010 Craft Books

Craft Hope: Handmade Crafts for a Cause by Jade Sims

 what you need to know...
:: help the need in the world with positive action
:: 32 mostly sewing projects, each project is matched with a specific charity, with alternative suggestions for local places to contribute the item
:: free patterns from the book: I Spy Quilt & Red Fleece Mittens
:: helpful tips on how to give locally and globally, how to give thoughtfully and appropriately, and how to empower those you are helping
:: visit the Craft Hope website 
:: add photos of your finished projects from this book to the Craft Hope Flickr group 

this was my absolute favorite crafty type book from 2010

my oldest son & i made the thank-you cards & stamp

from my lovely vintage pillowcase stash, i sewed the pillowcase dress, 9 actually, i added 5 more handmade dresses, so i sent a total of 14 dresses to Dress A Girl Around the World ~ their goal was to have 10,000 dresses by the end of October 2010 & i do believe they did reach that goal :)

(note to self ~ from this book make: soft cloth doll, simple-knot newborn cap, patchwork pillow, bandana pants, flowered purse)

PS speaking of giving for a cause, giving food to the hungry has never been easier...  i discovered the hunger site over a decade ago & have been going there everyday since ~ click daily to give free food

see you tomorrow of day 14 !

Money Bag Pillow

 Day 12 ::  2010 Craft Books

Fabric Remix: Repurpose & Redecorate with Simple Sewing & Easy Upholstery by Sandy Stone

 what you need to know...
:: 35 home decor projects made from great scavenged finds
:: see old things in a new light... vintage scarves become luxurious pillows, vintage dress belts become charming tote handles, lace-trim vintage linens become an elegant chair slipcover
:: Sandy shares where to gather inspiration & raw materials
:: "Why buy something when you can make it yourself for less!"
:: Sandy sells her work & vintage goods at Hunt & Gather

on a vintage shopping trip i came home with a cotton money bag, i wasn't quite sure what to make out of it until i came across the money bag pillow project in this book. i added some blue trim & a white linen envelope back ~ a rather quick & easy pillow to make

speaking of pillows be sure to check out Pillow Month over at Sew, Mama, Sew!

see you tomorrow for day 13 !

Perfect Party Dress

 Day 11 ::  2010 Craft Books

Little Girls, Big Style: Sew a Boutique Wardrobe from 4 Easy Patterns by Mary Abreu

 what you need to know...
:: for girls sizes 2-6
:: 23 projects all from 4 basic patterns: basic bodice, peasant top/dress, pants, & skirt
:: the full-size patterns are at the back of the book on perforated sheets you can tear out
:: add photos of completed projects from the book to the Little Girls, Big Style Flickr group

 this was a new color combination for me ~ yellow/black/cream

 voila the perfect party dress

without the overskirt

 and with the overskirt

 done in size 4 which is a tiny bit big, hopefully by the time we have summer weather she'll have grown into it more

 i did a couple of things differently... putting the buttons in the front & placing the ribbon on top of the overskirt... which is the whole point of the book: make it your own

see you tomorrow for day 12 !